Good to know
Good to Know
- Adelaide's IB and international-school fees generally run noticeably lower than Sydney or Melbourne, and several public (government) schools — such as Glenunga International High School, Norwood International High School and Roma Mitchell Secondary College — offer the IB at standard public-school fee levels, making them a much cheaper route to an IB Diploma than the private IB schools.
- The French Bilingual Binational Program at Highgate School and Unley High School is a genuine dual-curriculum (French National Curriculum + Australian Curriculum) public program — a rare true bilingual option that costs no more than standard public-school fees for domestic families.
- Several private schools list additional mandatory costs on top of headline tuition — e.g. an IB Diploma fee (around AUD 2,490), consolidated/activity charges, laptops for senior years, and enrolment acceptance fees — so the advertised 'tuition' figure is usually not the full annual cost.
- Tuition figures for some well-known private schools (e.g. St Peter's College, Concordia College, Pedare Christian College) could not be confirmed from current official fee schedules at the time of research — check the school's own enrolment/fees page directly before budgeting.
- The Australian school year runs in four terms, so both the government-school international pathway and independent-school admissions are structured around term-based intakes — plan to start paperwork, English testing, and visa steps at least one full term ahead of your intended start.
- In South Australia you cannot go straight to home education paperwork — you must first enrol your child in a local school and then apply for a home education exemption; this 'school-first' rule is unusual compared to most other Australian states.
- Both biological parents' signatures are required on the SA home education exemption application unless it's a short travel exemption, which can catch separated or single-parent families off guard.
- A family relocating to Adelaide cannot complete SA homeschool registration while still overseas — you need a fixed SA address and, technically, a prior school enrolment first.
- Adelaide has an active but informal home-education community (Facebook-based groups, park meetups, subject-specific and special-needs groups) rather than one large formal co-op — worth joining a group before or right after arriving to find your footing.
Schools And Curricula
- Overview
- Adelaide has a smaller, generally more affordable international/IB school market than Sydney or Melbourne, with a mix of true international schools, elite independent IB World Schools, and several public (government) schools authorized to teach the IB — the latter charging far lower fees than private schools since South Australian government schools are subsidized.
Schools
Adelaide International School (AIS)
- Type
- Private international school
- Curricula
- Cambridge curriculum (IGCSE, A Levels) plus the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE); also offers English as an Additional Language (EAP) pathways and VET (Vocational Education and Training) Certificates II-IV in partnership with the Adelaide Education Group
- Ages Grades
- Ages 3-19
- Notes
- Small, diverse international student cohort (around 100 students from multiple nationalities); merit-based scholarships available, up to 50% off tuition for successful applicants.
Tuition
- Low
- A$9,000
- High
- A$25,000
- Period
- per year
- Range Note
- Varies by grade and program
St Peter's College (Hackney/Adelaide, Nicknamed "Saints")
- Type
- Independent boys' day and boarding school (IB World School)
- Curricula
- Australian Curriculum through Year 10; International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and SACE in Years 11-12; languages include Chinese and French
- Ages Grades
- Early years to Year 12
- Notes
- 90-acre heritage campus a few kilometres from central Adelaide; includes a boarding house.
Tuition
- Note
- Specific current tuition figures were not found at the time of research; the school separately charges an IB Diploma fee of about AUD 2,490 where applicable, plus a voluntary Building Fund donation (~AUD 450) and a compulsory laptop purchase for Years 7-12
Prince Alfred College
- Type
- Independent boys' day and boarding school (IB World School)
- Curricula
- Australian Curriculum through Year 10, then IB Diploma Programme and SACE in Years 11-12
- Ages Grades
- Ages 2-18
- Notes
- Additional application fee AUD 100 (non-refundable) and enrolment acceptance fee AUD 1,250; boarding fees, IB Diploma fee (~AUD 2,490) and uniforms charged separately.
Tuition
- Period
- per year, day students (total fees payable incl. tuition + consolidated charge)
Tiers
Reception
- Reception
- A$18,870
Year 1-2
- Year 1 2
- A$20,010
Year 3-4
- Year 3 4
- A$22,820
Year 5-6
- Year 5 6
- A$25,740
Year 7-8
- Year 7 8
- A$30,630
Pembroke School
- Type
- Independent co-educational school (South Australia's first IB school)
- Curricula
- Australian Curriculum with IB Diploma Programme in senior years; a distinctive French Semi-Immersion Program (Years 7-10) teaching History, Geography and French Language/Literature in French, plus Mandarin Chinese, German, Spanish and Kaurna language options
- Ages Grades
- Early Learning Centre to Year 12
- Notes
- Long history of hosting international boarders.
Tuition
- Note
- Precise current published figures were not confirmed at the time of research; informal community reports (unverified) suggest domestic senior-year fees above AUD 20,000/year and total international-student costs roughly AUD 30,000-35,000/year — treat as indicative only, not confirmed against Pembroke's official fee schedule.
Concordia College
- Type
- Independent co-educational school (IB World School)
- Curricula
- IB programmes alongside the Australian Curriculum, across multiple campuses
- Ages Grades
- Early learning to Year 12
Tuition
- Note
- Current tuition figures not confirmed at the time of research.
Glenunga International High School
- Type
- Public (government) secondary school
- Curricula
- International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme alongside SACE
- Ages Grades
- Secondary (approx. Years 8-12)
- Notes
- Widely cited as one of Adelaide's most established and respected public IB providers, with a cost-competitive fee structure compared to private IB schools.
Tuition
- Note
- As a South Australian government school, fees are the standard low public-school materials/service charges rather than private tuition; specific international-student fee schedule not confirmed at the time of research.
Norwood International High School
- Type
- Public (government) secondary school
- Curricula
- IB Middle Years Programme and IB Diploma Programme, alongside the Australian Curriculum
- Ages Grades
- Ages 12-18
- Notes
- Enrolls around 1,700 students from diverse cultural backgrounds on its Magill campus in eastern Adelaide.
Tuition
- Note
- Standard government-school fee structure; specific figures not confirmed at the time of research.
Roma Mitchell Secondary College
- Type
- Public (government) secondary school, multi-campus
- Curricula
- IB programme, SACE and VET pathways
- Ages Grades
- Years 7-12
- Notes
- Includes a co-educational campus and one of only two girls-only public schools in South Australia.
Tuition
- Note
- Standard government-school fee structure; specific figures not confirmed at the time of research.
Linden Park Primary School
- Type
- Public (government) primary school
- Curricula
- Australian Curriculum plus International Baccalaureate curriculum
- Ages Grades
- Reception to Year 7
Tuition
- Note
- Standard government-school fee structure (nominal materials fees); older community reports cite annual fees around AUD 7,800-8,000 for a related IB primary programme, but this is dated (circa 2012) and not independently reconfirmed for the current year.
Pedare Christian College
- Type
- Independent co-educational Christian school
- Curricula
- International Baccalaureate and Australian Curriculum
- Ages Grades
- Reception to Year 12
Tuition
- Note
- Current tuition figures not confirmed at the time of research.
Le Fevre High School
- Type
- Public (government) secondary school
- Curricula
- Australian Curriculum and International Baccalaureate
- Ages Grades
- Years 8-12
Tuition
- Note
- Standard government-school fee structure; specific figures not confirmed at the time of research.
Annesley Junior School
- Type
- Independent primary school
- Curricula
- International Baccalaureate and Australian Curriculum
- Ages Grades
- Reception to Year 6
Tuition
- Note
- Current tuition figures not confirmed at the time of research.
Highgate School & Unley High School — French Bilingual Binational Program
- Type
- Public (government) bilingual program, run across a primary feeder school and a secondary school
- Curricula
- Combines the French National curriculum with the Australian Curriculum; most non-specialist subjects taught in French at Highgate primary level, with harmonised French/HASS/Maths/Science units at Unley High School; students can sit DELF exams, and can pursue SACE or the IB Diploma in senior years
- Ages Grades
- Reception through Year 10 (continuing into senior secondary at Unley High School)
- Notes
- Delivered in partnership with the French Ministry of Education via the French Embassy, and part of the Australian Association of French English Bilingual Schools (AAFEBS); one of Adelaide's only genuine dual-curriculum bilingual programs in the public system.
Tuition
- Note
- As government schools, there is no private-school tuition; standard public-school fees apply for domestic students. No international-student fee schedule was found for this specific program.
Adelaide High School
- Type
- Public (government) secondary school
- Curricula
- Not an IB or dual-curriculum school, but runs a Special Interest Language program allowing students to study two languages (from a large list including French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Vietnamese and Auslan) through to at least Year 10, alongside SACE
- Ages Grades
- Secondary
Tuition
- Note
- Standard government-school fee structure; international student program fees not confirmed at the time of research.
German School Adelaide
- Type
- Supplementary (after-hours) language school — not a full-time bilingual day school
- Curricula
- German language classes preschool to Year 12, held Saturdays, leading to the Deutsches Sprachdiplom (DSD I & II)
- Ages Grades
- Preschool to Year 12
- Notes
- Runs alongside mainstream schooling rather than replacing it — useful for families wanting German-language continuity, not a substitute for a bilingual day school.
Tuition
- Note
- Fee schedule not itemised at the time of research; described as a not-for-profit community program.
Homeschooling
- Legal Status Australia Wide
- Homeschooling is legal in every Australian state and territory, but there is no single federal law — each state regulates it separately, and South Australia's approach is one of the more distinctive and more heavily regulated versions.
Local Homeschool Community
- Detail
- A genuine, named local homeschooling group operates in the Adelaide area: a homeschooling group in the Adelaide Hills that welcomes all homeschoolers no matter what age or homeschool style, listed among South Australia's local groups by the Home Education Association (HEA) Australia — a national home-education advocacy body that maintains a directory of active regional groups.
- Exists
- Yes
- Sace Bridge
- For older home-educated students wanting a formal senior qualification, South Australia's Open Access College allows those holding a current home education exemption to enrol part-time or full-time in SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education) subjects, which temporarily supersedes the exemption while they complete those modules.
- Nature Of Groups
- Locally documented Adelaide-area groups function mainly as informal social/support networks (park meetups, Facebook-based information sharing, teen-specific and special-needs-specific subgroups) rather than as formal fee-based teaching co-ops; families build broader socialisation for home-educated children through community sport, arts, and volunteering rather than relying on a single central co-op.
South Australia Specific Process
- Core Rule
- In South Australia, children are legally required to attend a government or non-government school from the ages of 6-17; the Education Act 1972 allows parents to apply for an exemption from attendance for home education purposes.
- Home Visit
- South Australia requires a home visit as part of the exemption process, typically conducted by a Home Education Officer who reviews the family's learning plan and meets the child (no formal testing of the child occurs).
- Who Applies
- Application is made to the Home Education Unit of the SA Department for Education, and signatures of both biological parents are required for the exemption (a single signature is only sufficient for a temporary travel exemption).
- Processing Time
- Applications typically take 2-4 weeks to process, and principals can grant temporary exemptions of up to a month while the full application is assessed.
- Plan Requirements
- The application must include a 12-month education plan covering the eight learning areas of the Australian Curriculum, with strategies for monitoring the child's progress; families are not required to follow the Australian Curriculum exactly, but must show their approach meets its goals.
- Part Time Not Permitted
- Part-time homeschooling is not permitted in South Australia — a child is either fully enrolled and attending, or exempted for home education.
- Foreign Family Specifics
- Children on temporary Australian visas are eligible to apply for a home education exemption on the same terms as citizens/residents, but registration can only be completed once the family is actually resident in Australia — you cannot register to homeschool while still living overseas or without a fixed SA address.
- School First Requirement
- Unlike other Australian states, South Australia requires all children to be enrolled at a government or non-government school in order to receive an exemption for homeschooling — you must enrol your child in a local school first, then apply for the exemption; the child stays formally enrolled but is excused from attending.
International And Private School Enrollment
- Overview
- Adelaide has no distinct 'international school' sector like Singapore or Dubai — foreign families place children either in the government system (via a dedicated international-student office) or in one of Adelaide's independent/private schools (several of which run formal international-enrolment programs with homestay support).
- Visa Requirement
- A successful school offer and Confirmation of Enrolment are prerequisites for the Australian student visa (Subclass 500) application, which is a separate step families must complete before travel.
- Timing And Waitlist Reality
- No Adelaide school published a specific 'apply X months/years ahead' waitlist figure in the sources checked. What is documented is that the Australian school year runs in four terms and both pathways (ISEC, independent-school admission) are structured around term-based intakes, so realistic planning means starting the application, English testing, and visa paperwork at least one full term (roughly 10-14 weeks) before the intended start term — longer if a homestay placement or boarding place also needs arranging.
Government School Pathway
- Process
- Overseas families apply through International Education Services (the SA Department for Education's overseas-student unit), which places students in a South Australian government school.
- English Bridge Program
- Adelaide High School, for example, runs an ISEC (Intensive Secondary English Course) as an entry pathway.
Notes
- Apply through International Education Services http://www.internationalstudents.sa.edu.au · The ISEC program is a one semester program designed to increase English skills proficiency while gaining knowledge and understanding of the Adelaide High School curriculum and Australian lifestyle and culture.
- The school year is divided into four school terms so choosing to join for one or more of the four terms is recommended.
Independent Private School Pathway
- Homestay Note
- Scotch College can recommend the student to a local homestay provider who we know provide a cost-effective living option for students, offering families peace of mind.
Process Steps
- Complete and lodge a formal Application for Admission Form together with supporting documents.
- Sit an English proficiency test — schools commonly recommend IELTS or AEAS.
- Once accepted, the school issues a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) and Welfare Statement, which the family uses to apply for the Australian student visa (Subclass 500 — Schools).
- Pay required tuition/boarding fees in advance before the visa and enrolment are finalised.
- If a homestay (rather than family accommodation) is needed, the school can arrange an approved local homestay family near the campus.
Documents And Requirements Cited
- All applicants are required to complete and lodge an Application for Admission Form and submit the following documents with their application.
- International students require an adequate command of English.
- It is highly recommended that International students sit the IELTS/AEAS or equivalent.
- International Students are required to pay one semester's tuition and annual boarding fees in advance.
- Scotch College will then issue the Applicant with a Confirmation of Enrolment Form and Welfare Statement which will enable the Applicant to apply for a student visa (Schools Visa – subclass 500).
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.